Heartbroken

So we met a guy on the street this week, which really means we were walking down the street and he calls for us to come to him. His name is Lucas, we talked for a little and marked to visit him the next day. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he accepted baptism, and we left him with a Book of Mormon. The following day when we went back to follow up. I asked him if he read the Book of Mormon.. He had. (we marked for him to read 2 ne 31). He read that, and then started at the beginning of 1 nephi and read until jacob 5! Please go pick up a book and look at how much Lucas read in one night. The next day we covered the plan of salvation, and we arranged everything for Church the next day. He said the closing prayer and said `Deus Eu sai que esta Livro é verdadeiro!´ (God I know this book is TRUE!)  So Sunday morning we grabbed a ride to pick up Lucas. And that´s when he started giving us excuses, and finally Sister J asks `are you drunk´ sadly he was... He didn't come to church, we were really sad and it gave us a little taste of what our Heavenly Father feels when we break commandments or when we choose not to go to church... but now we know what we will teach today. the word of wisdom:) ... another cool story, we were stopped on the street by some 16 year old girls, they were actually kinda following us, they are in an English class and are doing a project for class and need people who speak English for extra credit, so we made a deal with them if they come to church we will help by going to class, they actually came, and really seemed to enjoy young women's. All in all a good week. Oh Caio received the Holy Ghost! Parabens!

love you all,

Siste Leonard

my new bug bites

me with a cute little family of chickens

Sister J and I

Conference

Mom we had a party for your birthday at conference!

Sister J and I in our little english room watching conference.  Everyone else showed up later

It was Sister Oliveira´s birthday.  Sister J and I got a Brazilian cake recipe from Carol.  Turned out DELICIOUS!! Super fun! Us and our zone missionaries.

Baptismo!

Caio got baptized yesterday! que benção! Seriously Sister J says that was the absolute easiest baptism of her mission... Everything went right! we must be doing something right! And was conference not just the best thing in the word? It was. What i picked up most on was covenants and how we need to make them, keep them, and help others do the same. I am excited for these next couple weeks to continue working with the members and having lots of success. Thanks for all the prayers and keep them coming!

Sister Leonard

After the Baptism

Everyone who was baptized yesterday

Caio with his family (Mom, Aunt & Uncle)

Milagres!

So this week was hard, and great. I love my companion she is an angel. Anyway this week i want to talk about Caio (Kyle) He´s 13 his is the nephew of some of our recent converts, basically super ready for the Gospel in his life. We´d actually seen him at church quite a few times before and we were not sure if he was a member or not. He loves church he loves all the things we teach him, in one of our lessons when we were explaining enduring to the end we said `you know you do the little stuff every day like praying and reading scriptures...´I told him it doesn´t have to be long just 5 min. His response was “well i get home from school at 12 and don't have to work till 3 so that's three whole hours i can read the book of Mormon...” wow what a stellar kid. So we are really excited for him, and really excited for General conference this upcoming weekend!!!! Sister Johnson and I are also planning a Halloween ward party... if you have any ideas of games/ activities we could do that´d be great! 

Oh and happy birthday mom this year i called Tommy, he said he´ll speak the day after your birthday!

Love you all

Sister Leonard

Sister J and I with Salviano, who we had lunch with.  He made this cake. He's hilarious because he knows a little english and says funny things at random times.

 

These are my language tutors.  Emily (left) is an investigator,
Stella and Igor correct my grammar...

The miracle of the Beans

We had zone conference this week, we learned how to be great missionaries like Ammon. On Thursday I invited a Ceição and her two boys Rafael and Elifabio to baptism, woohoo! We've also had a very productive week fining new people to teach. The people here are very nice and extremely friendly, we don´t actually knock doors but clap outside of peoples walls/gates, but usually the people are just sitting outside already to hear the message of the gospel:) Yesterday we had 7 people come to Church!  Which is a lot!  And its a lot when most people don´t keep commitments very well... people are really interested in why we, sisters, choose to serve missions. I love explaining, how much this Gospel means to me, to leave my family, my schooling, a plush life with clean water, and a really cute boy to come to Brazil for a 18 months. I love testifying of Jesus Christ and of God letting the world know that they live and that God loves all his children so much! He gives us so much! We need to be thankful for that. Sister Johnson is ótima! I love her she is great and teaches me so much we have lots of fun together.

Mom be proud of me i´m eating beans... and every time i do, my body rejects them.... it's nasty. I know the lord is aware of this challenge though because half the time the members don´t have beans. Sister Johnson says i´m lucking out but really the Lord blesses me for my efforts. Ah when people ask what the weirdest thing I ate on my mission i´m probably going to have to say this cabbage and ham lasagna... I don't know how it is considered a lasagna its literally cabbage with cheese and ham as the noodles... it wasn't bad, it was just very different. Well I'll get pictures for you.

Hey for Christmas you should send me peanut butter:) and you should send it now so i get it by Christmas:) thanks mom!

How many mosquito bites can you count?  I count 15. They only bite the left arm for some reason!

A really cool butterfly!

"She's not from around here"

So much to tell you and not a lot time. Yesterday we invited 3 primary aged kids to a baptism... it would have been 4 but sister Johnson forgot... but when we go to teach them more we'll have a special invitation just for Beatrice...we don’t even know if she's old enough to be baptized but that's okay. Every one here looks really young; unless they look old then they look really old! Some things i have noticed that Brazil is lacking:

1. Peanut butter

2. Carpet

3. Air conditioning

4. Cold milk

5. Pepto bismol

6. Temperature regulated water

7. Drinkable tap water

8. Paved roads

9.even sidewalks... there are more but that's all i can think of.

Things they do have though are tile... everything is tile, even our walls. 

Everyone is really friendly. 

Lots and lots of fruit! We have a mango, lime, and guava tree. Turns out i like guava, who would have thought. 

Oh everyone says my Portuguese is really great for only being here for 6 days... except that one little boy in our lesson that started laughing when i started to teach... i did hear what his mom said "stop it! She’s not from around here, she is trying her best!" that's a great confidence booster;)

 My companion is super great though! She is always positive and giving me great tips on how to survive Brazil, literally survival tips. Mom, you did not prepare me to survive in the middle of nowhere. I’m really glad she is with me we have a lot of fun together! She’s great and we are having fun doing lots and lots of work here. I never really knew i could get so much pleasure from working really hard every single day. 





Home Sweet Dirt Hut

We made Reese's cupcakes

Sister Johnson and I did service for a member who fed us lunch.  WE cut ribbons for a primary activity

Arrived in Brazil

Tudo bem? 

So i made it after 27 hours of airports and airplanes i made it alive. So much to tell and not a whole lot of time. Just go watch the beginning of the best two years for me;) so my new companion is sister Johnson, she´s great! I love her! She is American, which means she does know English Que Benção! (What a blessing). Right so i got to Natal on Tuesday afternoon. We had dinner with president Soares and sister Soares who is an amazing cook! And spent the night in Natal. Then the next day we registered with the police and I’m legal here) Que Benção! Then we had a 5-hour bus ride to Mossoró, which is my first area for at least the next 12 weeks. it´s really hot here;) I’m not complaining, literally everyone we talk to says that, it´s like the small talk. Instead of asking oh how is the weather they just state it’s hot. So winter here is ending which doesn’t really change much it goes from hot to really hot:) Que Benção! Better than going somewhere really cold;) the people here are really nice and it´s not taboo to talk about Deus. If anything that is one of their favorite things to talk about other than the weather. Que Benção! Also today after our district meeting, sister Johnson and i needed to buy some paper to make thank you cards. A man who worked at the store who is also a recent convert went across the street to buy us ice cream, and then the lady checking us out gave us a discount on our paper! Double Que Benção! So ya I’m still alive. Half the times i don’t know what is going on but the people are wonderful and willing to work with me. Well we have a city to convert. Love you all. 

Sister Leonard.

Sister Aleah Leonard

Brazil Natal Mission
Av. Interventor Mario Camara 2066
Dix - Sept. Rosado
Natal - RN
59062-600
Brazil

A lizard in Natal

Clouds over Natal.  The field is white already to harvest

ou were right mom, it's just like girlscamp, really hot and I'm not allowed to flush the toilet paper...my favorite!

Some pictures from the plane